20 Things in Cleveland That Are Gone That We'd Really Like Back

Swingos

The Swingos family in Cleveland started several successful businesses that were all known for hosting musicians and celebrities. Swingos restaurants hosted Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones, while the Swingos Celebrity Inn was even mentioned in the film Almost Famous as “the most famous hotel in the world.” Despite the notoriety as a rocker hotspot, the establishments have all since closed. Swingos Celebrity Inn closed its doors in 1984, while the two restaurants served their last meals in 2009. (Photo courtesy Swingos documentary)

Michael Stanley

Cleveland's troubadour and local legend passed away this year at the age of 72. He left a long career and countless friendships behind, but too soon. (Photo by Joe Kleon)

Grand Prix of Cleveland

Local race fans didn't have to make a long trek to see Indy drivers from the early 1980s to 2007, when Burke hosted Indy racing events, including the Grand Prix of Cleveland. Despite being a fan-favorite track, efforts to bring the race back to the shores of Lake Erie haven't been successful. (Photo via IMG Sports/Encyclopedia of Cleveland)

Sea World

Hard for a lot of younger Clevelanders to grasp, but from 1970 to 2000 there was a Sea World right here in Northeast Ohio. (Photo courtesy Cleveland Memory Project)

Geauga Lake

The park was always a little sister to Cedar Point in Northeast Ohio but was still a beloved amusement park thanks to rides like the Corkscrew. It closed in 2007 and is now being developed for housing and mixed-use development.

The Original Dawg Pound

There's no recreating the magic and atmosphere of the Dawg Pound at Municipal Stadium, and all efforts since then have proved that sentiment to be true and undeniable. (Photo via Scene archives)

A Robust Plain Dealer

Advance Publications last year finally succeeded in killing the union, which meant the loss of even more jobs after years of downsizing and layoffs. The PD now exists as a shell of what it was years ago, partially through the evolution of the media landscape, sure, but also because of efforts taken by its corporate owners to punish reporters. Everyone should be thankful for the job Cleveland.com does on a daily basis, but it should also pain you to remember everything to goes uncovered in Cleveland thanks to Advance's efforts. (Photo by Sam Allard)

Sokolowski's

They don't get much more Cleveland than Sokolowski's, the nearly century-old Tremont restaurant that's served pierogies and other Polish classics to Presidents, movie stars, professional athletes and, more importantly, everyday Clevelanders since 1923. It endured the second World War, countless recessions, the life and death and rebirth of Tremont, and had stood as the second-oldest continually operating restaurant in Cleveland, but it didn't survive the pandemic. (Photo via Scene archives)

LeBron

The once and forever King of Cleveland. (Photo by Emanuel Wallace)

The Ontario Street Cafe

One of the best and last dive bars downtown slung cheap beer and liquor, as well as dynamite sandwiches, to a wide range of clientele until Dan Gilbert's company decided a renovated parking garage was more important than safekeeping a Cleveland landmark. (Photo by Doug Trattner)